We are excited to announce that the non-Java version of
our editing tool is now ready for use by all Manuals contributors. We first
launched the non-Java version in late 2016 as an alternative for those who
had technical issues with Java. At the time, it was a “light” version with
basic features, but over the last year and a half we have worked to make it
a very robust and user-friendly editing tool.

·You’ll no longer need to worry about updating Java in order
to edit your chapters.

·You’ll be able to access the editing portal using all
browsers (though Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge have some known
performance issues in larger chapters).

·Our early non-Java adopters will be happy to know that you no
longer need to clear your cache before logging into the portal.

Since we instituted a bonus program for completing chapter
updates as scheduled, 75 authors have achieved the $250 bonus! We hope to be
awarding many more bonuses over the coming months, so start your editing!

As a reminder: For authors who have signed and returned a
bonus addendum or who have a new contract with the bonus clause, we will pay
you an additional $250 per chapter if the “Author” stage (which is the
initial review stage) is completed within 4 weeks from the date the chapter
is assigned to you (6 weeks if you have a co-author). Please email
us if you’d like more information.

TRIVIA CHALLENGE

In our last issue we asked
if you’d seen The Merck Manuals “in the wild.” In case you missed it, The
Merck Manuals made a recent TV appearance on Jeopardy!

Here’s the $400 answer in
the category “PUBMED.” We know you know the correct question!

TECH CORNER

I’ve updated my chapter. I’ve saved it. Now what?

After you complete your
editing, you must forward your chapter to the next person in the editing workflow.
Here’s how:

When you open your chapter within the
portal, it opens in a new window—but that first window remains open in the
background as you work in the editing tool (Screen
1). You complete your edits, updates, and comments,
and you save your chapter (Screen
2). At this point, the chapter is still in your task
list. For the next person in the workflow to receive your chapter, there is
one final step you’ll have to take: forwarding the chapter. Click
here to see screen shots of the entire process.

CITING THE MANUALS

Have you ever wondered how to cite your work on The Manual? It
can be a little tricky, we know, because there is both a print edition and
the digital Manual. Here are a couple of examples:

Note:
it is easy to leave out the page numbers, if you only want to cite the online
version.

MILESTONES

Congratulations to Susan T. Schindler on her
retirement from Merck after 28 years of service. Susan joined The Merck
Manuals in 1992, and her meticulous editing and attention to detail have
enhanced The Manuals. We look forward to continuing to work with Susan on
certain chapters, but we’ll miss her presence in the office. We wish her a
happy and fulfilling retirement!